Job Discussion Forums

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

After a particularly frustrating lesson I got to thinking what are the worst kind of students to teach?

Personally I find the chatting, 'if I don't look at you you don't exist', 11-13 yr old boys and girls a real pain to teach. Often it's a personality clash, I have little time for the immature posturing 'I'm too cool for school', and unwillingness to do something different, they think doing things differently is unbearably dorky. I also don't really like the 'I know enough that I don't need to listen to what the teacher is saying' kids.

User N. Ame · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 222 Location: Kanto

Students under the age of 4 are the worst. Period.

JaredW · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:34 am Post subject:

I wouldn't classify a group of students as "the worst", rather many teachers have an age group that they can connect with better than others.

bornslippy1981 · Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 271

Quibby84 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 643 Location: Japan

Pre-school is my favorite to....the worst is tired elementary students crammed into a small room talking to each other and trying to sneak their DS's out of bag without me seeing....oh and in the late evening...

flyingkiwi · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 7:53 am Post subject:

Students who are overly-sensitive and sulk when they don't get their own way, or when I don't pick them when about 10 students raise their hands at once to answer a question. Their sulking thus disrupts the rest of the class. I hate it. Mainly applies to teenage girls IMO.

Eva Pilot · Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2007 9:27 pm Post subject:

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

Any kid who doesn't want to be there, and as a way of punishing their parents or the government for subjecting them to it, takes it upon themselves to ruin the class for both myself and the other students.

Odango · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 36

Oh no....What am I letting myself in for Confused

Angelfish · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 131

Students who turn up for class and hour early and then expect me to entertain them whilst they are waiting.

When the same student does this week, after week, after week....

Shimmeringstar · Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Kagoshima, Japan

I have found the most difficult students to be college students who are not English majors, but are required to take an English class. They're next to impossible to deal with because most of them don't care about English, so they don't care about the class. They often try to chat (in Japanese) or do other work in class, and are generally disruptive. I have nearly pulled my hair a number of times....

The lack of student interest in English aside, I suppose I really don't like those classes because there's simply way too many students. 44 students in a little classroom where I'm supposed to teach English Conversation is just too many!!

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

That's true. I am so glad that one of my unis is reducing the number of students from 45 to under 24 next academic year. In the meantime, I am suffering from the stress of being a traffic cop rather than only being a teacher. Just call me the enforcer! Laughing

Gypsy Rose Kim · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 151

I don't think I have a least favorite. I don't particularly care for the gaijin-wannabes, or students who want me to hang out after class, though. I'm a total snob that way. I also do not care to take on private students who don't have clearly defined goals. You want to chat with a foreigner or do the dreaded "free talking" for an hour? Find a teacher who's FOB, then.

I kind of like the students with attitudes who "hate" English. I'm old enough not to take it personally, and am attracted to the challenge of trying to win them over. Being a bit sexy (not slutty, of course) but never, ever stupid is my way of handling them. All Japanese appreciate sexy, from the obachans and retired students to the stiff Ginza types to the bored university students. Mind you, I don't teach kids anymore, and that's probably why.

P.S. Just reread that, and it sounds like bragging. It is NOT. It's just some advice, even though of course everyone's probably already thought of it on their own. Sorry!

gaijin4life · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:16 am Post subject:

ditto all of the above and .. at an eikaiwa - Students who are nowhere near as good (or smart, funny intelligent..) as they think they are and try to blame the teacher for their shortcomings... Or, students who pack a mean grudge over some perceived slight ...

At public schools ? - Definitely students (mostly girls in my experience) who will lie, lie and lie rather than face-up and - `heaven forbid` accept responsiblity for a bad decision they made. And the teachers (in name only.. Rolling Eyes

) who believe them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rolling Eyes

- Ah, its good to vent - Wink